The Fosters – Just Say Yes

By starrymag | March 19, 2018

By: Taylor Gates

 

 

Callie (Maia Mitchell) tries to convince Professor Kim (Eric Steinberg) to make an exception and allow her in the law program despite the fact that every spot is already filled. Although he can’t allow her to bypass the wait list, he encourages her to apply next year and speak to him personally before she does.

 

Brandon (David Lambert) tells his family the good news—Grace (Meg DeLacy) is in remission. He also announces he’s meeting with the head of a film scoring program in Hollywood, thanking Callie for helping him discover his passion.

 

Jesus (Noah Centineo) is furious at Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) for stealing Emma’s (Amanda Leighton) robot idea. Mariana points out that last she heard Emma was building something to shoot fire retardant into wildfires. Besides, it shouldn’t matter if they build the same thing if one is far superior.

 

Both Mariana and Poppy (Nandy Martin) and Jesus and Emma are working on making their robots go through a maze. Mariana’s is turning out far superior, easily going through the maze with sensors. Emma’s, on the other hand, is struggling, bumping into walls and getting caught. She’s miserable, as she can’t fix or tweak the robot or else it will be exactly the same as Mariana’s. Jesus urges Mariana to help her, but Mariana says she needs the internship if she wants to get into MIT. She later has a change of heart and helps Emma program her wildfire-eliminating robot.

 

Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena (Sherri Saum) put Callie in charge for the weekend, as they’re going on a couple’s retreat. They start arguing about it at the table, leading Mariana and Brandon to encourage them to take the trip and work on their relationship. Stef promises to try and keep and open mind and not shut down.

 

Ximena (Lisseth Chavez), Poppy, and their parents tell the family the story of how ICE agents tricked and detained them. Unfortunately, they don’t meet the hardships to get an appeal, and appeals are expensive. They thank the Adams Fosters for everything they’ve done, but Callie is still not ready to give up.

 

Callie talks to Aaron (Elliot Fletcher) about a similar case she found about ICE misleading immigrants and the judge throwing out the case. Aaron thinks it’s a start, but they would have to find a lawyer willing to argue the case. Callie says the Sinfuegos can’t afford any more legal bills, and Aaron pitches an idea that would involve his study group. Just then, Amanda (Jonna Walsh) comes over, and Callie decides to leave and give them some privacy.

 

The next day, Callie and Aaron meet with Professor Kim and his legal studies group. The class is all on board to write up arguments for the Sinfuego’s case for a class project. Professor Kim doesn’t think they’ll have enough evidence, but Callie thinks they can get an ICE agent to testify on their behalf. Although he wasn’t directly involved with the arrest, Amanda suggests they get him to write an amicus statement. With this information, Professor Kim green lights the idea. If they can get the ICE agent to cooperate, he’ll file the appeal. He also tells Callie he was serious about next year, leading her to tell an excited Aaron and Amanda that she’s applying to the five-year law program. Callie and Aaron serve the ICE agent with a subpoena.

 

That night, Callie tells Mariana she should’ve gotten back with Aaron when she had the chance. She doesn’t want to be the girl who stabs another woman in the back, but she’s still pining over Aaron. Mariana says no girl wants to be someone’s second choice, encouraging her to tell Aaron how she feels. Later that night, Callie and Aaron hang out. Callie tells Aaron she loves and is ready to be with him. Aaron says he needs some time to think about it, as he’s in a good place with Amanda.

 

Stef goes to talk to Brandon, saying they haven’t really talked about him having to pick her up from the grocery store. She tells him it’s not his job to take care of her, and he assures her he doesn’t feel that way. Stef still feels guilty, worried that her struggles when he was a child sent the message that his only worth in a relationship was as a caretaker. Now that Grace is well, it’s a good time for him to refocus on his dreams. He promises he’s doing just that.

 

Brandon’s interview for the Musicians Institute goes well, and Grace points out that he would be going to school on the Walk of Fame every day. They take selfies next to the stars of their favorite musicians and give some money to a guy playing songs on the street. They pick up their own guitars and start singing for some people who gather around them. Some people even throw some money into their guitar cases. Brandon notices Grace is really good with the kids in the crowd and asks if she’s ever thought about having her own. Grace reveals she probably can’t have children because of all the chemo, and Brandon says he’s always wanted to adopt. He supposes it’s just about it being the right time with the right person, and Grace kisses him.

 

Grace tells Brandon she’s proud of him for applying to college and taking care of himself. They sit on the beach and watch the sunset, but Brandon says he’s more of a sunrise guy: he likes beginnings. Grace says some things last forever. Brandon goes to the car to get Grace a sweater and spies the jar of sand he gave her from the senior prank. He asks her why she brought it, and she says it’s a good luck charm for their gig later. They check into their motel and have sex as well as say “I love you.”

 

Stef and Lena pull up to the retreat and meet their couples counselors Bill (H. Richard Greene) and Beth (Lynn Milgrim). They assume Stef is a man because Sharon accidentally registered her under the named Stev, but Stef doesn’t mind, taking the mixup with good humor. Instead of the trip starting out relaxing like Lena wanted, Stef keeps making loud, inappropriate jokes.

 

Stef and Lena start out by doing some goat yoga. Instead of it being peaceful, however, one goat jumps on Lena and hurts her back, another pees on Stef, and a straight couple named Brad (Matt Kaminsky) and Jeannie (Julie Wittner) say they always assumed lesbians wouldn’t have trouble communicating. Beth and Bill tell the couples their goal is to row a canoe across a pond as a team without one person dominating the other. Stef and Lena do terribly, and to make matters worse, Brad and Jeannie absolutely dominate.

 

Stef and Lena argue about who was the person at fault during the canoe expedition. Stef says they don’t have anything in common with the straight couples around them, and Lena accuses her of not keeping an open mind. She wants to give up and go somewhere else, but they then run into Bill and Beth and decide to fake it in group therapy.

 

During group therapy, they’re shocked at the similar issues other couples have faced— children with learning disabilities, emotional affairs with coworkers, unresolved issues with their fathers. Bill suggests that one woman confront her father even though he’s dead. Lena opens up to the group, saying she’s worried about what’s going to happen when all their kids leave for college. They’ve been co-parenting together for so long she feels like that’s the glue that’s been holding them together. Will there be anything left between them when that part is over?

 

That night, Lena does her assignment of writing Stef a sexy, romantic letter. Stef laughs, asking if they’re really going to participate in those challenges. When Lena gets angry, Stef points out that she’s went along with everything they’ve asked of her so far. Lena says all she’s done is go through the motions, but they’ve never really connected. Stef is mad Lena told a group of strangers their problems instead of her directly, and Lena says she’s been telling her but Stef hasn’t listened. All Stef ever tells her is that she’s not happy. Lena brings up Tess (Kristen Ariza), Stef brings up Monte (Annika Marks), and Stef finally admits she doesn’t trust anyone.

 

After the fight, Stef takes a walk to see the goats. She imagines Frank (Sam McMurray) there, telling her that she can’t keep walking away from people unless she wants to end up alone. Stef tells Frank all she ever wanted was his approval, and she still feels ashamed of herself because she never got it. Although he can’t apologize to her or say he’s proud of her wife and kids, he encourages her to say it to herself. Stef cries and says she loves the life she’s built. She also says there’s nothing wrong with her. Frank tells her that when she truly believes that, maybe then she can remember everything Frank did right—like love her.

 

Stef goes back to the room to tell Lena the truth: that there’s a shame in her that keeps her from being completely vulnerable. Sometimes when they make love, she feels like what they’re doing is wrong. She’s terrified that their love will be taken away from them. She tries to act stronger than she is because she’s afraid to hurt Lena, and she’s scared Lena will reject her. Lena assures her that she loves her for her struggles, not in spite of them. Lena wants her to share her fears so she can help her heal—so they can help each other heal. The next morning, Stef tells Lena her assignment was to propose to her wife. She pulls out a ring and asks Lena to marry her for the third time. Lena laughs and says she’ll say yes every time she asks.

 

When Grace gets home, she tearfully tells her mom she has to tell Brandon the truth. They sit on a bench, and Grace admits that her t-cell treatment didn’t work. She didn’t want to tell him before his interview and thinks Stef is right: he has trouble taking care of himself when others are in need. He did it with Cortney (Denyse Tontz) and Julliard, and she’s not going to let him do it again. She tells him he needs to go home and leave her with her parents and that she doesn’t want any more treatments. He can visit her on weekends, but he needs to graduate and then go to the Musicians Institute. Brandon doesn’t want to leave her, but Grace says he has to. She tearfully tells him that he, as her proxy, needs to pull the plug when the time comes. After their retreat, Lena drops Stef off at Grace’s house so she can drive home with Brandon and give him some company. When he sees Stef, Brandon immediate collapses, crying into her arms.